Mushroom Soup: A Clean Recipe

Friday, August 29, 2014

When I first did the the Clean Cleanse a few years ago, I was really amazed at how delicious "clean" food can taste. When you take away all the extra cream, butter and flour from a recipe, the flavors of your basic ingredients really have a chance the shine.

Call me easily impressed, but that is how I felt after the first time I made this soup. It really surprised me how even the bare basics can taste so good and it literally took me no time at all. This mushroom soup doesn't hide behind any added cream or roux that you usually find in a good mushroom soup recipe. Instead there are a few basic ingredients - mushrooms, aromatics (onions & garlic), olive oil, dried thyme, and vegetable broth.I've seen other clean recipes that add quite a few other ingredients such as rice to add to the consistency, almond milk, leeks and other stuff. But let's be honest, I was feeling kinda lazy, and this was a much easier version.
The flavor really develops when you break down the natural sugars in an onion via slow cooking in olive oil. When that's done, add in a bunch of chopped mushrooms - I used white button and portobello but you can use whatever variety you have on hand. Add in the spices and vegetable broth as the mushrooms finish cooking in the onions.
Put it in a blender and voila, mushroom soup!

Mushrooms are known to have an umami flavor that adds another depth of taste in this soup. I found this extremely satiating and it even curb my appetite for meat that night.

1. Brown onions & mushrooms. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions & a pinch of salt. Cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms and thyme. Cook until mushrooms are soft. Add broth and let it heat up. Once it starts bubbling, take off heat.

2. Blend. Transfer the cooked mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. If you want a lighter consistency, I would either add a bit more broth or water here. Top with some fresh herbs if you want a bit more brightness to the soup.